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Thursday, April 29, 2010

From our partner organization in St. Louis, Peter and Paul Community Services

ST. LOUIS (April 23, 2010)

Doug Carter was homeless on and off for the past several years in St. Louis. While participating in a transitional housing program at Peter & Paul Community Services, Doug learned about the agency’s street soccer team, the St. Louis Roadies. He never thought a ball could change his life but three years later he has his own place, a part-time job and is pursuing a Missouri Commercial Driver’s license in order to supplement his income as a cab driver.

“Looking back now, I was just tired of being tired, tired of losing jobs and moving from place to place. I remember one winter sleeping out in a tent behind an abandoned building downtown with a couple other guys. One of the guys at our camp froze to death. He had been there throughout the winter and rarely got out of the cold when the weather was really bad. It finally caught up with him. It was really sad. I continued to work with Peter & Paul staff on my résumé and stayed involved with the soccer team. I have no idea as to why, but the coaches and players chose me as team captain. I was pretty happy about that. Through it all I’ve kept my faith. I’m actually proud of myself and where I am now. I’ve come a long way.”

Since joining the Roadies Doug has competed at the national level in Kansas City at the Midwest Invitational and Washington D.C. for the Street Soccer USA Cup. This summer he will travel with the team to Washington D.C. to compete against homeless street soccer teams from 16 other cities. Organizers of the Street Soccer USA Cup will choose 8 players to represent the United States in the Homeless World Cup in Rio De Janiero in the fall.

Doug is not the exception. Internationally, 77% of participants in Street Soccer programs make a significant life changes such as moving off the street, or pursuing further education.

With 800,000 people homeless on any given night in the US, homelessness is a widespread and worsening national problem.

Mizzou Senior Luke Hesse first heard about the St. Louis Roadies while home for Easter break.

“I heard about Doug’s story from a family member who helps out at Peter & Paul Community Services. I got in touch with Pete Campanella who heads up the coaching staff for the Roadies and spoke to our house president about playing a match. The idea kind of took off from there.”

The Roadies take on Phi Kappa PSI on Friday, April 30 at 7 p.m.

Date/Time: Friday, April 30, 2010 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Venue: Cosmopolitan Park, 1615 Business Loop 70W, Columbia, MO 65202

In Case of Rain The match will be played indoors at Mizzou. Call 314-662-2877 for indoor venue. Open to the public

Other news out of St. Louis...

Congratulations to St. Louis Roadie Captain Daniel Blue for moving into his new place and enrolling at L'Ecole Culinaire!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

From the website of our good friend and musician Dustin Edge. Please click on title for link. ...

Hey everyone,

Over the next week, 50% of all online sales will go to support an organization that I greatly admire - Street Soccer USA. Aside from being an ardent supporter, it's been a privilege to work side-by-side with Street Soccer USA in the past as a guest performer at the Street Soccer USA Cup in Washington DC.

With a mission of using soccer for social change, SSUSA uses team sports to help adults and youths overcome homelessness through a national sports league in 20 cities across the country. Players within the organization commit to change their lives by setting 3, 6, and 12 month personal goals. Then, with the assistance of coaches and volunteers, each player is held accountable to meet – and even exceed – their vision for a better self. Since its inception, Street Soccer USA has helped over 75% of their players get off the streets within a year of joining the program.

If you're interesting in acquiring my music and would also like to donate to this worthwhile cause, just click here or any the images below to visit the online store.

On another note, thanks so much to everyone who came out to the 'By The Numbers' CD Release Party earlier this month in Manhattan. If you weren't able to make it, there are several more shows coming up soon - just see below for all the details.

Though springtime has melted any of mother nature’s ice from Chigagoland, “The Ice” in the western suburbs is getting rock solid.

After two months of practice, members of “The Ice” have grown as individuals in a multitude of ways, including new jobs, continuing education endeavors as well as improving in personal responsibility, and respect for self and others. All of these individual changes have lead to a stronger group of men, who are all ready to continuing learning through the team soccer experience and seeing themselves as winners in the game of life.

The team will have their first scrimmage at “Just for Kick’s” Indoor Arena in Plainfield on Monday May 3rd at 7:30pm and would love to see the community come out and share in the fun.

Special thanks to the following volunteers who have helped and supported “The Ice” so far this season. I hope to be able to add more names to the list as the team prepares for the Street Soccer USA Cup 2010!

· Mark Balsan

· Melissa and Max Lawson

· Jeff “Roscoe” Maid

· Elise Manzie

· Nancy Manzie

· Karol Oaks

· Ken Sweda

Welcome Lincoln Park!

What’s the newest thing to sprout up in the streets of Chicago this spring? - A new street soccer team based out of Lincoln Park of course! Please get ready to extend a hand of support to Street Soccer Chicago’s second team to join the Street Soccer USA family.

Special thanks to the following for helping to make this new beginning possible :

Ramapo College’s Community Service Center has teamed up with Street Soccer USA to make a commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative to help spread to work about SSUSA, help raise money and to help us end and change the way people view the issue of homelessness in the USA.

Pictured above are Rachel, Lauren, Sarah and Quiona.They attended the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference in Miami last week and worked the SSUSA booth.They signed up other college students from around the world up to support SSUSA and they spread the word about all of the great work everyone involved with SSUSA is doing.

Thank you Ramapo Community Service Center for your dedication last week and we look forward to all of the amazing events next school year!!

The Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor, Michigan) S.S. PORT (Street Soccer Project Outreach Team) embarked upon our second annual fundraiser on March 28, 2010. Despite not reaching our goal financially, the event was very successful in community networking, publicizing the street soccer program and the fight to end homelessness, and providing an afternoon of fun for specatators and players alike.

The event consisted of a soccer match between the local Street Soccer team, S.S. PORT, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office (WCSO). Before, during, and after the event, approximately 40 prizes that were donated by local businesses were raffled off to the crowd who purchased raffle tickets at $5 each. S.S. PORT players of all skill levels got equal time on the field and each player received a commemorative award from a Sheriff's Office counterpart, or "shadow Sheriff."

Monday, April 19, 2010

The Green Farms Academy (GFA) Community Service Committee held a great soccer tournament yesterday with all proceeds going to Street Soccer USA. Six teams participated in the event including the Street Soccer NYC team.

The day started out with me speaking to the teams about how at Street Soccer we use a lot of the same principles that they are using at Green Farms Academy, including giving structure and having the foundation of a community behind each other to achieve all of our goals.

And what a community GFA has!! This event was run by a group of 17 and 18 year old students who found out about Street Soccer USA when Lawrence Cann went to their high school to explain the program last year. A couple of weeks ago I went to speak to their Community Service Committee about the impact that having an event such as this will have on our players.

As for Street Soccer NYC involvement, we started off tying and losing our first two games. After a lunch intermission provided by GFA, we got together and decided we were going to change the way we played and compact the field as a team in an effort to shore up our defense and allow the other teams to make mistakes that we would take advantage of. With this strategy and playing as a complete team SSNYC went on to win its next 3 games and advance to the finals. Even though the team fell in the finals it was a great day had by all. The team got to enjoy a full day of food, friendship, music and soccer, as well as be recognized for all of the positive things that they are doing.

I just wanted to thank everyone at Green Farms Academy for the event and for all of the amazing work they are doing. This event will make a huge difference in everyone's life that was there and go a long way in SSUSA's attempt to end homelessness.

Since it’s original inception in 2004, the Street Soccer program in Charlotte has continually grown and flourished. Taking a program from nothing to what it is today is no small feat. It’s a sometimes arduous task that requires constant attention and continual focus on the next milestones ahead.

2010 has already started to shape up as a year of the milestones for Street Soccer 945. Finishing out their winter season this past March, the 945 All-Star team brought home a championship win in their Men’s Intermediate league. Not only was this a milestone for Street Soccer 945, but also for Street Soccer USA representing the first championship win of any Street Soccer USA team in the country. Next on the 945 plate was establishing a first-class fan club, the Royal Court, for the 945 team. The energy generated by the Royal Court has been infectious and Street Soccer 945 has continued the maturing process that Lawrence and Rob Cann started during their respective tenures.

Today, Street Soccer 945 took a step towards another monumental milestone: forming their first womens-only street soccer team. Following the cues from the Minneapolis team, Street Soccer 945 had their first womens-only practice today and the signs were encouraging.

In attendance this afternoon was an even balance of individuals. Joining Pete this afternoon in the coaching realm is Brittany and our new volunteer coach Jill Brehm. In the player arena we have two veterans and two newbies. Ebony and Nori have been with the 945 program for awhile now, while Myrah and Kyra are new to the world of soccer. Since it was the first practice for this new entity the coaches started with the fundamentals before some fun stuff. As a spectator, I must admit that by the end of practice I was very optimistic at where this team is heading. Good things are on the horizon. Good things.

To get involved or learn more about Street Soccer 945 in Charlotte, NC contact Pete at streetsoccer945@urbanministrycenter.org

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

SSUSA founder Lawrence Cann visited Duke's Sanford Public Policy School to meet with a select group of aspiring social entrepenuers studying at the University. The astute group impressed with two hours of questions. Here is a photo with student leader and Duke Engage member Brooke Kingsland.